Mother's Day
by AgentMandark
Summary: Angel's class is celebrating Mother's Day. By tradition, kids bring their moms into the class for the day. But Angel doesn't have a mom. She worries about what to do...until she discovers the real definition of a mother. Set during SOF. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not have any ownership over anything Maximum Ride related whatsoever.**

**This fanfiction is in dedication to **_**all**_** mothers out there—whether they are biologically related or not. I'm not sure how well you, the reader, get along with your mom/"mom"—but for one day, show her how much you appreciate her. Show her how much you care for her. Show her how much you look up to her. Show her every little thing that is code for "I love you, Mom."**

**Also, many thanks to…**

_**PorcelainNinja**_

**For beta-ing this for me. Without your help, I wouldn't have had the confidence to post this up. :). Muchas gracias, mi amiga.**

* * *

"So, class, does anyone know what day is coming up?"

Angel knew the answer way before the teacher even asked the question. Mother's Day was this Sunday, and the entire class had been thinking for weeks about what to buy their mother, or what kind of card to make. Even Ms. Kim felt excited, knowing her daughter and son were coming down from New York to visit her, and practically seemed to glow with joy and spirit. Mother's day seemed to lift up everyone's soul; people couldn't _wait_ for it to arrive!

Everyone but Angel.

While little girls smiled as they put effort into their handmade cards and boys considerately left the house with their dads to scout out the _perfect_ gift, Angel frowned and mumbled angrily to herself. Aside from Angel, there weren't any foster kids in her class. All the _normal _kids had a friendly, healthy mother. _They_ came home every day and were greeted with hugs, kisses, and "How-was-your-day?"s. _They _had a parental figure who cooked dinner every night and lovingly kissed her husband. _They_ had a mom who could tuck them in at night, reading bedtime stories until they fell asleep.

And then there was Angel. Angel, who came home to blood, sweat, and tears. Angel, who was on the run from sadistic scientists. Angel, who never had a mother, and whose closest thing to a parental figure was a man who abandoned her within months of living in the same house.

She pouted. **So**_ not fair_.

"Well, kids, Mother's Day is in just a few days! And you know what that means…" Ms. Kim winked, and the class of young children squealed and cheered in delight. Angel, wallowing in confusion, read the mind of her nearest classmate and—if possible—her frown went farther down.

"_What?_" Angel cried in disbelief, forgetting the whole "Lay low" plan.

Ms. Kim looked at her. Suddenly, she remembered that Ariel was a new student, and probably wasn't accustomed to the class tradition of bringing in their moms to spend the day. She asked, "Ariel, honey, is there a problem?"

Angel bit her lip, instantly regretting saying anything. She shook her head, eyes downcast, muttering, "Never mind."

But Ms. Kim was stubborn. She wasn't going to let the topic go. "Sweetie, if your mom is busy, I'm sure I can convince her to come—"

"That's not it," Angel cut her off.

"Then what—"

"I don't have a mom."

The children gasped, whispering and pointing at her in shock. Even her friends seemed to think that there was something wrong with her, and hastily scooted away as far as possible. For the first time since starting first grade, Angel felt like an outsider—a freak. _As if I weren't enough of one already_, she thought bitterly.

"I…Um…" Ms. Kim struggled for words. She hadn't read about that in Ariel's file. And, if Ariel didn't have a mother, then who _was_ taking care of her? Her father?

Answering Ms. Kim's thought, Angel explained, "My guardians are missionaries…but they're never around. They're on a trip at the moment, so my older 'siblings' are taking care of me. We're staying with a family friend of ours." She had rehearsed the tale over and over with Max—but she never thought she'd have to explain it in front of the whole class.

Ms. Kim pursed her lips. Never before had any of the students lacked a mom—and this new, sudden change was unexpected. She couldn't possibly think of having everyone come into school with their mothers, leaving Ariel all alone.

"Ariel, may I speak with you during recess, please?"

_No_. But even as she thought it, Angel nodded her head reluctantly.

* * *

"Ariel, I'm terribly sorry how all your friends were behaving today…they just—they're not used to kids like you."

Ms. Kim paused, realizing that wasn't the right thing to say. "What I mean is—"

"My fellow classmates haven't been exposed to reality yet. Yes, I understand."

The teacher's jaw dropped a little. She had observed within one week of Ariel being there that, of all the students, Ariel was certainly the most pensive and intellectual. Things that didn't make sense to most children were completely comprehended by Ariel. Ms. Kim briefly wondered if the absence of her parents had anything to do with it.

Ms. Kim sighed. "Very well. In any case, are you sure you don't want to bring in someone else? Didn't you say that you were living with a woman…Anne Walker, was it?"

Angel felt hope ignite for second, but it quickly disappeared. For some reason she couldn't quite fathom, her gut was telling her that bringing Anne was a poor choice. And, usually, her intuition wasn't far off. But bringing Anne was better than bringing no one, right?

Ms. Kim saw the uneasiness on Angel's face and immediately understood. "You don't feel comfortable bringing Anne, do you?"

Angel had no need to answer.

"Ariel, there must be someone in your life who represents a motherly figure. You know, my parents got divorced when I was a child. My dad got custody, however, because my mom couldn't afford to pay for me. I assume you know what 'custody' means, correct?"

Angel nodded.

"Anyway," Ms. Kim continued, "She moved away, and I was very sad. My dad brought a woman home one night. Because she wasn't my mom, I got extremely upset and didn't take a liking to her. Whenever I could, I'd put her down, or make her look bad. Once, I even threw a pie at her face!"

Angel stared curiously at her. "What happened?" she inquired.

Ms. Kim smiled. "She got married to my father. And, after a few years, I moved on. To be honest, I consider her more of a mom than my mother ever was."

Angel furrowed her eyebrows. It didn't make sense. "But…she wasn't biologically related to you. She wasn't your _real_ mom."

Again, Ms. Kim smiled her warm, confident smile. "Sometimes, Ariel, the closest family you have aren't the ones who share your blood—but the ones who share your love; the ones who care for you more than anyone else in the world are your family—no matter what the genes say."

Angel blinked a few times, finally understanding what Ms. Kim was saying. Hesitantly, a grin spread across her face. She knew _exactly_ who she was bringing as her "mom".

"Ms. Kim," Angel said, "I think I have someone in mind…"

* * *

**I'm hoping to have the next part up by tomorrow. Reviews and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.**

**-Amanda**


	2. Chapter 2

**For those who read this—yes, I'm aware this is a week late. I apologize for that.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews! The alerts/favorites were appreciated, too. :)**

* * *

"Angel…where are we going?"

Instead of replying, Angel squeezed Max's hand and grinned even wider.

"You'll see."

Max groaned for the umpteenth time that day, sending nasty little glares at the conniving six-year old. Since two days ago, Angel had been in a bizarre mood—giggling the time, humming to herself, skipping around like one of Santa's jolly ol' elves. Yesterday, Max couldn't resist.

"Angel," she had said, "Are you falling in love with a boy, or something? At this age, I thought they were supposed to have cooties."

Angel shrugged, and admitted, "I need you to come to class with me on Friday, if that's okay."

When Max tried to get more details about _why_, Angel had simply shaken her head and whispered, "It's a secret!"

Even the rest of the Flock had no idea what was going on, wearing puzzled looks whenever Angel glided through the day as if nothing could possibly go wrong. No one could accuse her of planning anything because with a six-year old bird-kid, you just never knew.

So, deciding to go with the flow (and sending a gazillion mental prayers to the heavens above), Max agreed, as long as it didn't involve "girly" activities. To her shock, Angel actually looked fairly honest when she promised that there would be no shopping, nail painting, or makeovers.

Thus, like the gullible and vulnerable mutant she was, Max caved in. What was strange: Angel didn't even have to use bambi eyes _or_ mind control.

"It's not a prank, by the way," the mind-reader commented unexpectededly, breaking Max's train of thought.

Max rolled her eyes."That's reassuring," she mumbled, not being completely sarcastic.

For the rest of the way, Max and Angel silently held hands, walking side by side until they arrived at a door. There was no little window to peer inside, but Max could already hear the giggles of the first graders on the other side.

"Is this it?" she asked.

Angel bobbed her head up and down. "Yep."

"And I assume I'm going to have to attempt to figure out why I'm here in the first place without anyone's consent?"

"Pretty much."

Before Max could remark, a young and sweet-looking woman swung the door open and ushered, "Come in! Come in! Oh, Angel, how are you darling?"

_Huh?_ _How the heck did she know we were here? _Flat-out dumbstruck, Max walked into the room, observing everything inside. She expected a bunch of kids—which was half right. The female adults sitting around with those kids, however, weren't anticipated.

Max wanted to turn around and demand to know what was happening, but rather than coming face-to-face with Angel, she came face-to-face with the woman from before—probably the teacher.

"Hello, Ms. Ride, I'm Ms. Kim. I'm sure Ariel has told you about me."

Despite the friendly and warm tone, her expression was one of surprise.

Not knowing what to say, Max just shrugged her shoulders. Ms. Kim must've noticed Max looking away awkwardly, because she immediately broke off the stare, and muttered an apology.

"Forgive me…I just…When Angel suggested bringing _you_ in…I didn't expect you to be so…so…"

Max raised an eyebrow. "So…what?"

"Young," Angel chirped behind her, evidently reading Ms. Kim's mind. Max made a mental note to have a discussion with her about that later.

Ms. Kim blushed a little and said a bit sheepishly, "Again, I apologize. I expected you to be much older…"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. I hate to be rude, but I'd really like to know what the heck is going on, and why I'm being dragged here." Max interrupted.

The teacher blinked oddly at her. "You mean, you don't know?"

Max stared at Ms. Kim and slowly shook her head. "Not a clue."

Ms. Kim laughed. The sudden change of atmosphere startled Max, and she gazed questioningly at Angel. Angel, being the annoying little bugger she was, merely sent her a small wave and skipped off to join her friends. Or, who Max presumed were friends, at least. Mutant bird-kids didn't exactly have a history for socializing.

_Why, you little…_Max trailed off in her head. She would've gone to fetch Angel, but it was then that Ms. Kim clapped her hands and commanded loudly, "Adults, please take a seat! Students, at this time, get your essays out and prepare to read them. Once everyone is done, the party may begin, cards will be handed out, and refreshments will be served!"

Max sighed. _I guess I'll chase after her when she's done. _Feeling somewhat out of place, she gave the 'seats' (AKA: Puny student chairs that weren't, in any way, going to accommodate her long, slim legs) a skeptical look, and reluctantly sat herself down in one—speculating all the while the reason she was there.

The kids were doing an _essay_? _That's _why Angel begged Max to come into her class? Because of an _essay?_

It didn't make sense to her, but she kept her mouth shut anyway. She figured it had to do with wanting at least _someone _to be able to hear her out, seeing as everyone else had their mom come in. _But_, Max mused, _why did she specifically choose _me?

The class gradually quieted down and everyone turned their attention to Ms. Kim.

"Alright—up first is Ariel Walker."

Grinning broadly, Angel proceeded to the class podium with paper in hand. Clearing her throat, she began to read, "I used to think that I would never know what it would be like to have a mother around. Where I grew up, the only adult figure in my life was my father. But even he, at some point, disappeared. Just like my mom. Who I never knew. "

Angel scanned the classroom. Realizing no one would interrupt her, she started speaking again.

"I won't go into much detail about how my brother and I ended up with four other kids, but let's just say that the household we lived in was dealing with rough times. Trust me, sharing a house with four other strangers isn't something to be happy about. Not at all. Somehow, we managed. Me and my 'siblings' started getting along. Tensions dissolved, friendships formed, and soon—we all considered ourselves a family. Sadly, our foster parents—who are missionaries—weren't home often. It was difficult living without much adult supervision. I used to hate it. I felt empty—desperately wishing my mom would come and be there for me, like all other moms."

She paused. As she did, some parents looked baffled—ogling at how much vocabulary a six-year-old girl could know—while others stared at her with genuine sympathy.

"However, it took me until recently to realize that I never had any reason to have been upset at all."

It was then that Angel looked pointedly at Max, and smiled. But it wasn't an ordinary smile. It wasn't an angelic 'I-am-innocent' smile. Heck, it wasn't even her guilty smile—an expression Angel had been getting accustomed to lately. This smile was a new kind of smile—one that showed so much love and compassion, that even Max had to blush in front of its presence.

"Because, despite all the stuff that was going on, there was one person that managed to keep everything all together. There was one _woman_ who took on the responsibility of five kids—including myself—regardless that she, too, was young. She shares no blood with me at all, whatsoever…but, to be honest, she's the only person I'd ever consider a mom. _Ever_.

"She tucked me in at night. She scared the nightmares away. When one of us ('us' being me and my family) was in the slightest bit of pain, she'd be by our side immediately—and wouldn't leave that position until she was positive that we were okay. She couldn't cook—and still can't—but, she found a way to provide us food everyday. She taught us how to live, how to learn, how to _love. _And she still teaches us, all the time. Whenever one of us is in danger, she sacrifices herself to make sure we're safe. She protects us the best she can, fights for us the best she can, and always cares for us the best she can. She can help solve any problem, and has never let any of us down before. She's the most honest, trustworthy person, mom, leader, _and _role model I know of, and I can confide in her with anything. She's been there for me, is there for me, and, forever shall be there for me. Always. In fact, she's sitting in this room, right now, as we speak."

The other mothers looked around, trying to scout out who this person was. Max, however, was sitting stock-still in the back, her eyes stinging in a way they have never stung before.

"Her name is Max—first name: Maximum. Last name: Ride (contrary to what the school papers say). She is fierce, independent, beautiful, incredible, swift, slender, strong-willed, selfless, courageous, fearless, and pretty much any word in the dictionary that's related to _awesome_. When Ms. Kim gave our Mother's Day assignment out, she said we had to write about our moms. Well, this is the closest person I have for a mom, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Angel's eyes twitched a bit, threatening to spill tears in front of the class. She almost caved, but she held it in and bravely kept going.

"Without you, Max, I'd be…lost, to quote Jeff, our brother. You're the one person who can keep me going in drastic situations, and the only reason that I'm still alive to this day. I…I don't know how you do what you do, or why you even bother. Sometimes I wonder how we're going to make it—but your dumb-butt ideas always pull through, in the end. I know I must be annoying to you, and that it must be frustrating to have a six-year-old follow you around—but I need you to know that I love you and am eternally grateful for the things you do for me."

She stopped, tears leaving trails on her pink, puffy cheeks. She tore away her eyes from the paper, and looked Max dead in the eye, with the most serious, honest expression on her face.

"Happy Mother's Day, Maximum Ride," Angel whispered. Suddenly, she threw the paper she was reading off out of her hands, and darted through the classroom, throwing herself at Max as soon as she reached her. Automatically, Max wrapped her arms around Angel—her baby—and smoothed her blond curls out.

Regardless of everything around her, Angel smiled. For, no matter the case, Maximum Ride would _always _be her mom. _Always_.

* * *

**My beta was unable to assist me in fixing this up, but I send her my thanks anyway.**

**Something I thought I should mention: I'm pretty sad that Angel isn't like this anymore. Now she's a little back-stabbing, traitorous devil. I still have hope for her…but, again, it's disappointing to see such a cute example of a mother-daugher relationship be completely ruined. **

**I know I could've improved on some things. Feel free to point any mistakes out.**

**~Amanda**


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